Dirty Dozen: Nine-run outburst leads Renegades to 12-2 victory

Wilmington, Del. (April 30, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades used an offensive eruption in the top of the seventh to pull away to a 12-2 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Tuesday night at Frawley Stadium.

In an historic offensive performance in the seventh, the Renegades tallied nine runs on 10 hits to turn the game into a blowout. It was just the third time since 2005 that Hudson Valley had collected 10 hits in an inning, with the last occurrence coming on Sept. 5, 2021 at Greensboro.

Jace Avina led the way for the Renegades, finishing 3-for-6 with a run scored, two doubles, a home run and two RBIs. His solo homer to center in the third off Bryan Caceres was his second of the season and proved to be the winning run in the blowout.

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— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) April 30, 2024

The Blue Rocks scratched out a run in the bottom of the first against Baron Stuart to take an early 1-0 lead, but Stuart settled down and allowed just two runs across 4.1 innings while posting a gaudy 7:1 groundout-to-flyout ratio.

The Renegades took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the second on a run-scoring wild pitch and an error, and Avina’s blast in the top of the third expanded the score to 3-1.

After Wilmington cut the deficit to 3-2 with a tally in the bottom of the fifth, the Hudson Valley offense broke out with its seventh-inning extravaganza. The Renegades sent 13 batters to the plate, collecting 10 hits including seven extra-base hits (4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs), setting a new franchise record for most extra-base hits in an inning.

Jared Serna had two RBI hits in the inning, a double and a single, and Jesus Rodriguez and Rafael Flores both clobbered home runs. Roc Riggio also had two hits and scored two runs in the frame, on his way to a 3-for-5 night with two runs scored, a double, and an RBI in his return to the lineup.

Ben Shields (1-0) picked up the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in back of Stuart, and Cole Ayers got the final four outs of the night to lock up the win.

The Renegades had six players finish with multiple hits, including four – Riggio, Serna, Avina and Josh Moylan – who finished with three each. The team finished with 19 hits, the most they have had in a single game since pounding out 24 hits against Hickory on Aug. 27, 2022. The club’s 10 extra-base hits fell one shy of tying the club record.

Hudson Valley continues its series with Wilmington on Wednesday night at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with coverage beginning on the Renegades Baseball Network with the Heritage Financial Credit Union Pregame Show at 6:15. RHP Jackson Fristoe (0-0, 5.40) takes the mound for the Renegades while the Blue Rocks counter with RHP Luke Young (2-0, 1.69).